Skip to main content

Port authority to replace ITS system at George Washington bridge

The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) at the George Washington Bridge (GWB), first installed in 1997, is to be replaced by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as part of a road improvements being planned throughout the region. The ITS provides information on traffic conditions, estimated travel times, and lane restrictions to motorists via electronic signs on roads leading to the GWB. An estimated 101 million vehicles crossed the world’s busiest crossing in both directions in 2011. Work on t
November 16, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) at the George Washington Bridge (GWB), first installed in 1997, is to be replaced by the 1698 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as part of a road improvements being planned throughout the region.

The ITS provides information on traffic conditions, estimated travel times, and lane restrictions to motorists via electronic signs on roads leading to the GWB. An estimated 101 million vehicles crossed the world’s busiest crossing in both directions in 2011.

Work on the early-action item of replacing the eight electronic ITS signs on the New York and New Jersey approaches to the George Washington Bridge is expected to commence by the end of 2012 and be complete by the end of 2013. The entire ITS is scheduled to be replaced in approximately four years.

Message signs are located on state highways on both sides of the bridge, so the Port Authority is working closely with the New York State and New Jersey Departments of Transportation on the project.

The ITS will help reduce congestion by informing motorists of traffic conditions in advance so they can plan accordingly. Reduced congestion helps speed motorist travel times, while also benefiting the environment by cutting emissions.

“Replacing the existing ITS at the George Washington Bridge is consistent with one of the Port Authority’s main priorities, which is to keep people and goods moving throughout our region,” said Port Authority Chairman David Samson. “The world’s busiest bridge crossing and the motorists who use it will benefit greatly from a new, upgraded ITS as our region prepares to host the 2014 Super Bowl.”

“By providing motorists real time traffic information about the George Washington Bridge, the new ITS will allow them to plan accordingly,” said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. “It will assist the people who live and work in the region for years to come by reducing delays and emissions from traffic backups.”

“Our decision to replace the ITS is part of the Port Authority’s ongoing effort to deliver solutions for the people of our region,” said Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni. “The Super Bowl is one of the premiere sporting events in the world and it will attract visitors who will help boost our local economies. The new ITS will ensure we are ready for them.”

Related Content

  • February 8, 2013
    2012 US Urban Mobility Report published
    Researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) have come up with a way to measure the unreliability of trip times due to traffic congestion. The Planning Time Index (PTI) illustrates the amount of extra time needed to arrive on time for higher priority events, such as an airline departure, just-in-time shipments, medical appointments or especially important social commitments. If the PTI for a particular trip is 3.00, a traveller would allow sixty minutes for a trip that typically takes twenty
  • October 28, 2016
    New system expedites border crossings
    Enforcing border controls can create long queues for travellers, David Crawford looks at potential solutions. Long delays at border crossings in both North America and Europe have sparked the development of new queue visualisation and management technologies that are cutting hours, even days, off international passenger and freight journeys. At the westernmost end of the 2,019km (1,250 mile) Mexico–US frontier, two parallel crossings between Tijuana, in the former country, and the border city of San Diego,
  • July 26, 2013
    Qatar invests $70 billion to pave the way to world beating transportation
    Eng. Zeina Nazer looks at what Qatar’s recently-announced investment in transport infrastructure will mean on the ground. Qatar is experiencing a rapid economic and industrial growth. This growth is characterised by a rapid population increase and by the urgent need towards the development of both infrastructure projects and major transport projects. In order to handle this rate of development within Qatar, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is developing a fully-integrated multimodal transportation system in
  • May 7, 2015
    Russia looks to ITS to curb congestion and reduce accidents
    Major ITS installations are planned as the Russian capital Moscow grapples with extensive traffic problems. At the end of 2014, Russia’s first complex intelligent transport system (ITS) started easing traffic problems in and around the capital Moscow, following the implementation of the plans by the federal government and the city’s authorities.